as in joining
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriending
But the blind man ends up befriending the creature, having no sense of its frightening demeanor.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Zrnčević, Bugatti Rimac’s chief test and development driver, has spent 11 years with the company after befriending CEO Mate Rimac during his stint as an automotive journalist (his mechanical engineering degree didn’t hurt).
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Zrnčević, Bugatti Rimac’s chief test and development driver, has spent 11 years with the company after befriending CEO Mate Rimac during his stint as an automotive journalist (his mechanical engineering degree didn’t hurt).
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriending
Verb
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Soliman had been swept into custody, joining a record 61,000 people now in ICE detention.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Those traits all kind of culminated in me joining the Kansas City Defender around the time of the protests.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The formula gets bonus points for not feeling sticky, not traveling or feathering, and smoothing out lip lines for a plump, pouty effect.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Recently, when her daughter was traveling to London for work, Graves still got up to see her off.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After congregants walked around reflecting and connecting with the Cathedral, Roberson resumed services with familiar rituals —communion, peace offerings and prayers.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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The museum’s plans for Excelsior Club included restoring the existing two-story structure and adding a connecting history center focused on local and regional Black history.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Working Within The Trade And With Private Clients Enhancing and relating the company legacy is vitally important to Amenc, who started working for Golay Fils & Stahl in 2001.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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In a statement, a lawyer for Ortiz said his client’s guilty plea was highly tailored, relating only to his transactions with Pérez in the context of concert performances.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befriending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriending. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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